Caitlin Clark’s Last Spain Game Could Show What USA Needs From Her

Caitlin Clark's stat line when she last faced Spain could provide a blueprint for what to expect on Saturday.

Caitlin Clark dribbles against Spain in the FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament. | IMAGO / NurPhoto

The USA women's basketball team matches up against Spain in the semifinal of the FIBA World Cup on Saturday morning.

The USA will enter the game as a heavy favorite. Yet, fans shouldn't expect a cakewalk, either when it comes to the game overall or to how Indiana Fever star guard Caitlin Clark will fare.

When imagining what Saturday's game might look like for Clark, it makes sense to consider what she did against Spain in the FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament back in March.

Clark played 22 minutes in that game, contributing seven points and adding seven assists along with two turnovers in what ended up being an 84-70 win for Team USA.

Caitlin Clark dribbles during a FIBA World Cup game. | IMAGO / Eibner

Granted, this wasn't an efficient scoring night for Clark. She finished the contest having gone two-for-seven from the field and was one-of-five from three-point range.

Still, the seven assists she tallied (which were the second-highest single-game total she had in that Qualifying Tournament) showed that Clark still managed to make an impact for Team USA, especially because it came with just two turnovers.

What Caitlin Clark’s Previous Spain Game Could Mean for World Cup Semifinal Approach

There are so many elite offensive threats on Team USA that Spain will need to pick their poison when deciding which players they will try to limit offensively. The problem with trying to limit Clark is that she's Team USA's best at getting other players involved, which allows her to maintain value when the shots aren't falling.

Spain understands this. They also understand that leaving her open from three-point range is essentially a death sentence. So their most likely strategy will be to try to contain Clark's scoring output as much as possible and then deal with the consequences when she pivots to providing for teammates.

This is more or less the strategy that Spain employed during that World Cup Qualifying Tournament. Therefore, the most likely outcome for Clark tomorrow could be a similar stat line to that contest.

Then again, she could catch fire from three-point range, so it won't matter what defense Spain tries to play on her. But even if that's the case, Clark is wise enough to still get her elite teammates involved, because she'll need help to beat Spain.

Regardless, Clark will play a valuable role in what should be the USA's toughest opponent in the FIBA World Cup to date. And Clark's playmaking could end up being the difference-maker.